A Three Tier Bioimplantable Sensor Monitoring Platform

创造廉价微型生物植入物的可能性使研究界尝试将其用于对患者的持续监测。据报道，已有多种传感器用于这一目的，包括旨在监测血压、血糖水平、体温等的设备。然而，目前这些技术有效使用的障碍之一是远程(外部)从深度植入生物的传感器收集数据，同时对患者的生活造成最小的影响(例如，不需要电缆、更换植入的电池等)。针对这一问题提出了一种新的解决方案。这个想法包括一个由传感器+超声换能器植入物组成的三层网络，一个皮下植入的应答器以超声波频率与植入物通信，以及一个外部应答器通过感应耦合与皮下植入的应答器以微波频率通信。拟议中的网络将使未来的生物可植入设备的设计者能够只专注于他们特定传感器的操作，而不必担心与其远程通信的问题任务。将任何传感器连接到所提议的系统将是一件相对简单的事情。该项目开展的工作将有益于医学和生物工程研究界的研究人员，因为它将有助于加快目前远程监测患者健康的努力。

The possibility of creating cheap miniature bioimplants has led the research community to attempt to use these in the continuous monitoring of patients. A variety of sensors have been reported for the purpose, including devices aimed at monitoring blood pressure, sugar levels, temperature, etc. However, one of the current hurdles to the effective use of these technologies is the problem of remotely (externally) gathering data from deeply bio-implanted sensors whilst causing minimum impact to the lives of the patients (e.g. without the need for cables, replacing implanted batteries, etc). A novel solution to this problem is proposed here. The idea consists of a Three-Tier Network comprising sensor + ultrasonic transducer implants, a subcutaneously implanted transponder that communicates with the implants at ultrasonic frequencies and an external transponder that communicates with the subcutaneously implanted transponder via inductive coupling and externally at microwave frequencies. The network proposed will enable future designers of bioimplantable devices to focus solely on their particular sensor's operation, without having to worry about the problematic task of communicating remotely with it. Interfacing any sensor to the system proposed will be a relatively simple matter. The work carried out in this project will be of benefit to researchers in the medical and bioengineering research community as it will help accelerate the current effort to remotely monitor the health of patients.